A Rage To Overcome
by DiScOrD tHe LuNaTiC
Summary: Set just after the beginning of Harry's sixth year, it's a quiet tea-time in the Gryffindor common room...


**DISCLAIMER** I don't own any of these characters, the wonderously talented J.K. Rowling does, and I'm only borrowing them and I will give them all back nicely pressed and drycleaned I promise. I'm not making dime one off this, it's only done for the enjoyment of myself and others. Please don't sue. 

**SYNOPSIS** I will be the first to admit that I got into the 'Harry Potter' books a bit late in the game, and I actually read all five in one 48 hour period(the weekend that 'Phoenix' was released). Needless to say, that strained my brain a bit, and a few days later, I had a dream, which then evolved into an idea, which now is...here. My first HP fic, please r.a.r. 

**TIMELINE** This story takes place just after the beginning of Harry and the gang's sixth year at Hogwarts. 

Harry Potter -- A Rage To Overcome 

Less than a fortnight into their sixth year at Hogwarts, several Gryffindors were having tea in their common room. Sitting in a close circle around a table were Harry Potter, his best friend Ron Weasley, his other best friend Hermione Granger, and fellow Dumbledore's Army members Seamus Finnigan and Ron's younger sister Ginny. Hermione, who'd kept up her subscription to The Daily Prophet, had just recieved a special second daily edition by owl, and after she'd paid the owl and he'd taken off again, she unrolled it and began to read. 

Harry looked over at Ron quizzically. "Daily Prophet doesn't usually print two editions a day, do they?" 

Ron shook his head. "Can't remember any time they've done it my whole life." Seamus also shook his head as he smeared jam on a biscuit. 

Suddenly, Hermione let out a loud "_Oh_!" and dropped the piece of toast she'd been eating on the floor, where a waiting Crookshanks promptly devoured it. 

"What?" Harry asked, but Hermione ignored him. 

"What's with that, then, Hermione?" Ron asked as he stuffed a whole teabiscuit into his mouth. As Hermione turned the paper towards him, he began to choke and Seamus had to slap him on the back a few times. Ron finally mangaged to swallow, his eyes wide in shock. "Cor...you've got to be kidding!" 

Harry, annoyed at being kept in the dark, reached over and snatched the newspaper away, glancing at it as he poured some milk into Ginny's tea. The teacup quickly overflowed as he froze in place, his eyes locked to the Daily Prophet's lead headline and article. 

"LUCIUS AND NARCISSA MALFOY FOUND MURDERED" 

"The bodies of Lucius Malfoy, a convicted Death Eater, and his wife Narcissa were found this morning just outside the Ministry of Magic itself. Although the fact that their bodies were left on the street in full view of both wizards and Muggles was puzzling, the cause of death was no mystery: Floating over the corpses, visible only to wizards, was the Black Mark, the personal calling card of He Who Must Not Be Named. 

"Even the respectable wizarding community is in a state of shock this morning," said Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. "That Lord...You-Know-Who would kill two of his most faithful supporters...well, I don't think anyone would have ever thought this would happen." 

"Lucius Malfoy, suspected of being a Death Eater during You-Know-Who's initial reign of terror, was found innocent of crimes he had committed sixteen years ago, as his claim of being under the Imperius Curse could not be disproven. Mr. Malfoy then returned to his life as a model citizen, but was captured last year with a group of Death Eaters who had escaped from Azkaban. Although not all of them were captured, Malfoy, along with eight others, was taken into custody and sent to Azkaban. Less than three weeks later, however, they escaped, and it was assumed that Malfoy went into hiding. 

"Several weeks ago, just after sending their son Draco back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardy for the start of his sixth year, Narcissa Malfoy also vanished. The whereabouts of both Malfoys were then unknown until the discovery of their bodies. 

"Draco Malfoy, a mostly 'O' student and Hogwarts Prefect, was unavailable for comment." 

Harry finally blinked, then blinked several more times. "Th...wha...Lucius Malfoy...dead?" 

Hermione, Ron, Seamus, and Ginny just stared at him, none of them able to comprehend it. 

******************* 

Draco did not attend any classes the next day, nor the day after. Finally, on the fourth day since his parents deaths, he came in with the rest of the Slytherin sixth-years for breakfast. Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched him surreptitiously, but it was Dennis Creevey who managed to get momentarily close enough for a good look. 

"--And his eyes are really red, Harry. Looks like he's been crying something fierce," Dennis whispered, his voice barely audible even though he and the others were in very close proximity. 

"Thanks, Dennis," Harry said dully, then he sat back. Glancing over, he saw Malfoy looking down at his plate, shoving his food around with his fork. Harry, for the first time in their history, felt a stab of sympathy for Draco. He might've hated him, and also Lucius Malfoy, but there wasn't any person in the world that Harry would wish the death of their parents on. Not Draco, not Dolores Umbridge, not even Snape. Suddenly, Draco's head snapped up, and before Harry could look away, their eyes locked for a moment. Gasping, Harry quickly tilted his head down. 

"Harry, what is it?" Ron asked. 

"Malfoy," Harry said. "Saw me looking at him. What's he doing?" 

"He's stood up...and he's coming over here. Oh, he don't look happy..." 

"Thanks a lot, Ron," Harry whispered fiercely. As he continued to look down at his plate, an approaching pair of footsteps halted in front of him. Harry was suddenly conscious of a near-silence in the Great Hall. 

"Potter." 

Taking a deep breath, Harry forced himself to look up. Draco Malfoy's thin face was nearly as composed as it always was, but somehow, there was a sense of deep hatred and rage etched into every inch of it. Harry answered as civilly as he could. "Malfoy." 

Draco bent forward slightly, causing Neville to scamper off to the side, out of the way. "I don't like you, Potter," he said, and in the hushed silence of the Hall, Harry had no doubt there wasn't anyone who missed hearing it. "In fact, I probably hate you." 

Harry's brow furrowed as he started to get angry himself. "Well, then that's something we've got in common, since I don't like and probably hate you." 

Malfoy jerked up the left sleeve of his robes to reveal his forearm, and both Hermione and Ginny jumped backwards at what was revealed. A brand-like tattoo of a stylized skull, with a long serpent coming out of its mouth. Draco's eyes had never left Harry's. "Do you know what this is, Potter? What it means?" 

"It's the Dark Mark," Harry answered, hearing almost all the students gasp and murmur. "It's means you've been comissioned as a Death Eater." 

"That's right, " Draco said, a cold, humorless grin coloring his features. "Right after Father escaped from Azkaban." Harry could hear a low rumbling as the entire student body whispered to each other. That they would hear this during breakfast was completely unexpected. "He was so proud of me...so was Mother, and my Aunt Bella..." 

Harry's face spasmed at the mention of Bellatrix Lestrange, the Death Eater who had indirectly murdered Sirius by knocking him through that mysterious veil. "Well, then let me add my congratulations." Harry said through clenched teeth. 

Draco's grin widened, became almost manic. "Yeah. Good for me." His eyes began to glisten with tears as he continued. "I'm a Death Eater now, so it doesn't matter if he kills my parents, does it?" As the drops began to course down his cheeks, he kept on. "Father never betrayed him...he would have served him until the end...And Mother, well, she would have done anything Father asked of her. So they both died...for him, for nothing..." All emotion suddenly left Draco's face, leaving him looking eerily calm. "Potter, there's an old saying: 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.' Ever heard it?" 

Not trusting himself to speak, Harry simply nodded. 

Draco nodded in turn. "Good. Because it's true." Malfoy's right hand dove into the pocket of his robes as Harry's eyes widened. The hand emerged again, grasping a wicked-looking bright steel dagger. Harry was barely conscious of standing, of reaching for his wand as D.A. members at every table did the same. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Dumbledore drawing out his own wand, McGonagall, Snape, even Flitwick, too. But everything was happening too slowly, everyone was moving too slowly, everyone except for Draco. The dagger gleamed in the sunlight as it sliced through the air. 

"_AAAAGGGHHH_!" 

" Malfoy's dagger hit the floor with a lound 'clank' in the suddenly dead quiet. A heartbeat later, the soft pitter-patter of drops of some liquid falling were heard. Everyone in the Great Hall stood as still as a tree, shocked and horrified at what had happened. 

Draco Malfoy's teeth were bared as he clenched his jaw in pain. A large red patch on his left arm was dripping blood at an alarming rate, and Harry suddenly realized what had happened. Draco had used the dagger to cut the Dark Mark off his body. Stepping backwards to the middle of the floor, Draco met Harry's eyes and nodded slowly, as Harry suddenly realized what Draco had meant. 

"My name is Draco Malfoy!" Draco's shouts filled the now-completely silent hall. "My parents were murdered by Lord Voldemort!" A number of students gasped, and some girls screamed, but Draco didn't stop. "From this moment, Harry Potter and I are on the same side! If Voldemort wants a war, then I swear on my family name, I'll give him what he wants..._AND I'LL SEE HIM DEAD IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO_!" 

Draco's voice shredded itself on the last line as he screamed it as loud as he could. No one in the Great Hall moved. Draco walked over to Madam Pomfrey, who had been walking in just as he pulled the knife. His voice was noticeably hoarse as he addressed her. "Madam Pomfrey, I think I'll need to go to the hospital ward." 

Madam Pomfrey, her face white, put an arm around Draco and guided him out of the hall. Harry, slowly recovering, looked around. Ron's face was pale and he was gulping repeatedly; Hermione was blinking rapidly and taking very quick breaths through her nose, Ginny was shaking like a leaf and looked as though she was about to cry. Seamus, Neville, Dean, and the other Gryffindors all looked very shaken, while the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were animatedly talking among themselves. At the Slytherin table, Harry could see looks of dumb shock on Crabbe's, Goyle's, and Nott's faces: their fathers were all Death Eaters as well. 

Harry was more disturbed by what he saw up at the staff table. Professor Flitwick was shaking his head slightly, Professor McGonagall was standing with her wand still out, mouth agape, Professor Snape's expression was one of utmost amazement and disbelief. Professor Dumbledore stood tall, his wand by his side. He looked very concerned, and, Harry thought, perhaps rightly so. In that moment, however, Dumbledore cleared his throat. 

"Attention, students! Given the...nature of what we have just witnessed, I am calling off all classes for the day. Unless, that is, any Professors wish to weigh in..." Dumbledore looked around, but all the others were shaking their heads, not even Snape pressed the point. "In that case, Prefects, kindly lead your houses back to the towers; Students: you are free to come and talk to any teachers you wish about any subject you wish, and the library will, of course, stay open. If you have no clear goals, however, I must ask that you remain in your common rooms or dormitories." 

When Dumbledore went a few seconds without speaking, the students began to get up to leave. However, his next words brought them to a halt. 

"One final thing. Third-years and above will remember what I said about Lord Voldemort--" here a few students gasped or cried out again, but Dumbledore continued, "--murdering Cedric Diggory after the Triwizard Tournament. I asked you to keep in mind what happens to good, decent people who cross his path." Dumbledore paused, and looked at the trail of blood that marked where Draco had walked out of the Great Hall. "However, you now know, from the actions of this past week, what happens to his faithful followers, should they transgress against him only slightly. Lord Voldemort knows no loyalty, save to himself and his goals only, and he will allow no one, wizard, witch, or Muggle, to deter him. Lucius Malfoy served him faithfully, and was repaid with his own death, and the death of his wife. Remember that, should you ever waver in your determination to fight the coming darkness. Remember it." He paused. "Students, dismissed." 

And slowly, talking about what they had just seen, the students left the Great Hall. 

********************* 


End file.
